IB Bands Named San Diego Music Awards Nominees

Updated Thursday 11:45 a.m. to include quotes from Lando Martinez and to mention Taz Taylor.

Nominees for the San Diego Music Awards were announced Sunday, and Imperial Beach based bands are being considered among names like Blink 182, P.O.D. and Jason Mraz.

Among them, Hocus for Best Rock band, Teagan Taylor Trio's Wonderland for Best Jazz Album and The Amalgamated's Boss Universal for Best World Music Album.

All three bands have played for local audiences at the within the past two years.

Taz Taylor lives in nearby Nestor, walks the beach in IB everyday. His album Straight Up has been nominated for Best Rock Album.

Victor Tapia who plays the percussion bongos for the South Bay band B-Side Players who were nominated for Best World Album.

Awards will be announced in a ceremony Aug. 13 at Humphreys by the Bay. Nominees were chosen by a collection of radio DJs, venue owners and journalists.

Public online voting begins June 25 and ends a month later.

Hocus, the got together in 2009 and is made up of lead vocalist/guitarist Lando Martinez aka Fat Lando, bassist/vocalist Lorina 'Lolita' Montejano and drummer/vocalist Rhino.

The band was also nominated in 2010 in the Best Local Recording category which recognizes self released and distributed work after the release of their debut album.

Martinez said he heard Hocus was nominated through a friend who heard nominees announced on the radio Sunday evening.

"I thought she was putting me on cause we don't have a new record out right now were putting one together, but I guess we got their attention," he said.

Martinez said he was surprised to see Hocus named among more established bands like The Nervous Wreckords and Grand Tarantula that get attention from San Diego City Beat and music journalists.

"And yet there's little underdog Hocus, so it's kind of cool," he said.

Aside from shows at venues across San Diego, the group has performed at Imperial Beach Sports Park and Recreation Center concerts in the past like .

The Teagan Taylor Trio is made up of father Tim Taylor on guitar, Dylan Taylor on bass and Teagan Taylor who provides vocals and the occasional trumpet sound.

Last year Teagan sang the national anthem at a San Diego Padres game and the group traveled to a music festival in New York.

Locally the trio has played shows for everyone from the Imperial Beach Fire Department and Senior Center to an at the sports park in spring 2011.

The group released Wonderland in January. Their debut album I Can't Complain was released in December 2010 with a show at Mickie's Bar and Grill.

Drummer Jason Yandall, now with the band OttlyMercer, used to play for The Amalgamated and can be heard on part of the album Boss Universal, which was nominated for Best World Music Album.

The Amalgamated played together with OttlyMercer at a concert to celebrate the .

The two bands continue to play shows together at venues across San Diego, and on Sunday both will perform at the Kava Lounge downtown.

The IB band Fuzz Huzzi, , were a SDMA nominee in 2009. Lead singer Allen Camp used to run the music program at the Imperial Beach Sports Park and Recreation Center.

Reggae band High Tide, also well known locally, were nominated for Best World Music Album in 2010.

Click here for a complete list of 2012 nominees.

Correction: The original version of this article stated that nominations were announced Monday however nominations were announced Sunday.